Buckle.



T. KONNO.

BUGKLE.

APPLIOATION FILED 00u17, 1912.

1,065,451 Patented June 24, 1913.

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TAKESHI KONNO, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

BUCKLE.

Specification of Letters Patent. e Patented June 24, 1913.

Application filed October 17, 1912. Serial No. 726,252.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, TAKESHI KONNO, a subjectof the Emperor of Japan, residing in the city of Pasadena, State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful Buckle, of which thefollowing is a specification.

An object of this invention is to provide a buckle of the clamping typefor general use in securing together the ends of straps, provided withmeans to adjust the clamping elements of the buckle to operateeffectively upon straps of different thickness without wearing thestraps unnecessarily.

Another object is to produce a buckle ca? pable of firmly clamping thestrap ends together in such a manner that the strap engaged by theclamping elements will lay down in a smoother manner than other bucklesof the same type.

A still further object is to provide a simplified attachment to thebuckle to support the trousers or other garment.

Other objects and advantages may hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention,Figure 1 is a longitudinal mid-section of the buckle, showing a fragmentof a strap engaged by the clamping elements. The line .rl-l Fig. 3indicates the line of section. Fig. 2 is a broken section detail of Fig.1 showing the clamping bar adjusted to a different position. Fig. 3 is afragmental plan view. Fig. #l is a plan view of the front plate. Fig. 5is an end view of said front plate`l the clamping roller being shown inplace therein. Fig. 6 is an end view of the body or rear member of thebuckle. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the rear member. Fig. 8 is a crosssection onl line aas-m8 of Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a side view of thereversible clamping bar. Fig. 10 is an isometrical view of the completebuckle showing bot-h straps. Fig. 11 shows the buckle in use as a beltbuckle.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the body or rear member 1preferably consists of a rectangular plate, said plate having a largeaperture 2 extending therethrough which receives the strap 3 having thefolded end 11. Said body 1 is provided at one end with a pair of pivotlugs 5 beside which are corner recesses 6 cut into the plate as shown inFigs. 3 and 7. To said lugs 5 is pivoted a front plate or clampingmember 7 by means of apertured ears 8, said lugs 5 entering theapertures of said ears 8. A recess 9 is cut into each ear 8 near thefarther corner thereof to receive the recessed ends of a clamping bar11. Said clamping bar is provided with a recess 12 at each end. Each ofsaid recesses 12 isof such shape as to form a substantially rectangularportion of the bar opposite thereto at one side of the bar, so that,when said rectangular portions of the bar are fitted into recesses 9ofthe ears 8, said bar is kept from rotating. Said bar 1l iscircumferentially reversible, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, thearrangement of the recesses 12 of said bar being such as to cause it tolie closer to the clamping edge 13 ofthe member 1 when said bar is inthe position shown in Fig. 1 than when it is in the reverse positionshown in Fig. 2.

As best seen in Fig. 7, the body 1 is provided with a front bar la atone side of which is the gripping edge 13. From the other side of saidbar 1at projects a slightly offset tongue or finger 15 (see also Figs. 1and 11) to act as a garment supporter. Said linger 15 has a head 16which will take back of one of the front buttons of a pair of trousersas indicated in Fig. 11, to aid in supporting the trousers.

The front plate 7 (see Figs. A and 10) preferably has a large opening 7Lcut therethrough. In buckling the ends of the strap together it is moreconvenient to temporarily slip one end 17 through said opening, theclamping member 7 having lirst been swung to an open position. After thestrap 17 has been led between the bar 11 and gripping edge 13, saidstrap 17 may be led back through the opening 7 a and the front plate 7then clamped down thereagainst thereby securely gripping the strapbetween the gripping edge 13 and bar 11. The relative arrangement of thegripping lugs 5, clamping bar 11 and gripping edge 13 is such as toforma leverage which will hold the front plate 7 smoothly down upon thestrap end 17.

18 is a keeper carried by strap 3.

19 is an anti-friction sleeve around bar 11. Said sleeve is notaltogether essential to the successful operation of the device, but isuseful in preventing wearupon the strap. The bar 11 fits friction tightin the recesses provided therefor and may be reversed, as alreadydescribed, to adapt the buckle to straps of dierent thickness.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction shown. For example, the front plate 7 may be made Withoutthe opening 7Zt end may be shortened or otherwise `varied in contour.

The invention relates to the clamping elements claimed, Whether theseelements are applied to n belt buckle or to n buckle of any other class.

I claim:

l. A buckle 1consisting of a rear member having a gripping edge, ftclamping member piroted to said rer. r member, end n clamping bercarried by seid clamping member to cooperate with said gripping edge,said bar being cireimit'erentially adjustable with relation to seidclamping member to Vary the width of the space between seid bar andgripping edge to adapt the buckle to straps of different thickness, saidbar being shaped to tit recesses in said clamping member, seid recessesbeing shepcd to hold said bar nonrotetable in the adjusted positions.

2. A buckle consisting of a body having a gripping edge, e clampingmember pivoted to said body, and e clamping bar to cooperate with saidgripping edge, said clamp ing member having recesses to receive the endportions ot said bar, rotation ot said bar being prevented by the shapeof the ends thereof and the shape of the recesses in the clampingmember, the circumferential reversing o said bar varying the distanceoi' the same from seid gripping edge.

In testimonyT whereof l have hereunto signed my neme in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses at Los Angeles, i'n the county of Los Angelesand State of California, this 11th dey of 0ctober, 1912.

TAKESH KONNO'.

lVitnesses:

ALBERT H. MERRILL, NAMIo OHTOMO.

Uopes of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

